


The Quiet of Night

by Settiai



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Critmas Exchange, Dancing, M/M, One Shot, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 00:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17253848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Settiai/pseuds/Settiai
Summary: Once upon a time, two men fell in love. In the end, that's all that matters.





	The Quiet of Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Makocchi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Makocchi/gifts).



"Dance with me."

Shaun glanced up from the book he was reading and raised an eyebrow. "It's the middle of the night, Vax'ildan."

Vax shrugged at him, a look of utter innocence on his face that Shaun didn't believe for an instant. "I'm awake," he said, taking a step forward, "and you're awake. So why does it matter what time it is?"

If anything, Shaun's eyebrow went even higher. Then he chuckled and shook his head, carefully marking his place in the book before setting it down on the small table beside him. He'd known Vax too long to think there was a chance in the hells he'd change his mind, even if Shaun wasn't certain what had brought on _this_ particular mood.

After almost five years, Shaun had thought nothing Vax could do would surprise him. He should have known better.

Shaun pushed himself to his feet, pointedly ignoring the twinge in his back that made itself known as he stood up. He personally thought that he was too damn young to be having quite as many aches and pains as he was recently, but his body apparently had other ideas. He supposed that was life. Everyone had to grow old eventually.

"Well?"

Vax's eyes were twinkling as he held his hand out towards Shaun, clearly waiting for him to take it. Shaun's mouth twitched just slightly as he pointedly kept himself from smiling.

"Do I want to ask what brought this on?" Shaun asked as he stepped forward.

Vax just wiggled his fingers.

Rolling his eyes, Shaun reached out and took his hand. The moment he did, Vax pulled him towards him with enough strength behind it that it almost caught Shaun off guard.

Almost.

Shaun went with the movement, letting out a quiet laugh as Vax immediately went into a much more spirited dance than he'd been expecting. Vax grinned at him but didn't say a word. He just keep leading, moving with a lithe grace that never ceased to impress Shaun when he saw it with his own two eyes.

After a few minutes, Vax slowed his pace, shifting into something slower. Shaun took that as his cue to press his earlier question again. "You never answered my question."

"And what question was that?" Vax asked innocently.

Shaun simply gave him a look. It wasn't anywhere near the level that Vex'ahlia could manage, but she had made him practice for weeks back when it had first become clear that his and Vax's relationship was shifting from flirtation to something more serious. He was good enough at it that he didn't think Vax would last too long.

Vax lasted about twenty seconds. "Fine," he said, almost pouting. "You're taking all of the fun out of this. You know that, right?"

Shaun didn't even bother trying to hide his smile this time. "I'm certain you'll live."

"Remind me again why I married you?" Vax asked. Then, eyes twinkling, he leaned in to press a kiss against Shaun's lips.

Shaun leaned into the kiss, taking full advantage of it for a long moment before pulling away. "Don't think I'm not aware that you're changing the subject."

Vax let out an exaggerated sigh as he pulled away slightly, the beads he wore in his hair clicking lightly against each other at the movement. "I'll have you know that it's our anniversary."

Shaun blinked at that. "I'm fairly certain that it's not," he said slowly. "That's not for another three months."

Vax waved a hand, flushing slightly. "Not _that_ anniversary," he said. "I know when we got married. I'm not that bad."

Shaun stared at him. "Then what anniversary is it?" he asked, not trying to hide his confusion. He supposed there were a few different ones – their first meeting, their first date, the first time they fell into bed together – but he didn't think it was the right time of year for any of them.

It caught him slightly by surprise when Vax let go of his hand and took a step back. He stood there a moment, fidgeting awkwardly, before taking a deep breath.

"Of the night I made up my mind," Vax said hurriedly, almost as if he was trying to shove the words out. "The night that I chose you."

Shaun opened his mouth. Then he closed it. He wasn't entirely certain what to say to that.

Vax's face flushed even darker. "It's ridiculous," he said. "I'm not sure why I'm even thinking about it. It just popped into my head, and I thought—"

He cut off abruptly and turned away, clearly getting ready to flee to another room. Shaun shot his hand out to grab at Vax's shoulder, well aware that the odds of him actually managing it were slim to none.

It surprised both of them somewhat when Shaun actually managed to catch hold of him before he could dart away. Vax went as still as a statue at the touch.

"I remember that night," Shaun said slowly. "Back in Emon. I asked you to dance, and I'm not certain which of us was more surprised when you said 'yes.'"

Vax glanced over his shoulder and gave him a sheepish grin. "It seemed like a good idea at the time?"

That startled a bark of laughter out of Shaun, and he shook his head in amusement. Then he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Vax and pulling him back against his chest. Vax startled slightly, but he quickly relaxed as Shaun pressed a kiss against the top of his head.

"Come to bed," Shaun said quietly. "We can make some new memories."

Vax shifted, pulling away from him enough that he could turn to meet Shaun's gaze. "I thought you were reading," he said teasingly. "You said that you weren't ready for bed yet."

Shaun vaguely remembered saying something along those lines a bit earlier in the evening. He'd been in the middle of a rather intriguing chapter, and he'd waved Vax advances away with a hurried "maybe later."

Which seemed to imply...

Shaun narrowed his eyes at him. "Was this your way of getting me to take you to bed?"

"I have no idea what you mean," Vax said with a smile. He looked like the picture of innocence.

"I'm sure," Shaun said with a snort.

Vax took a step forward, pressing his body flush against Shaun's. He leaned in to press another kiss against Shaun's mouth, one of his hands resting on Shaun's side while the other started on his chest and then moved steadily downwards.

Shaun let a tiny bit of electricity form in his hand, not enough to hurt anyone but enough to jump across his fingertips as tiny sparks. Then he moved his own hand downwards.

The moan Vax let out at his touch almost made Shaun forgive the subterfuge from earlier.

"You said something about bed?" Vax asked breathlessly, reluctantly breaking the kiss.

Shaun smiled at him. "Lead the way."

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Twitter. (https://twitter.com/settiai)


End file.
